Time should have forgotten it by now. Compared to the present-day "Madden" franchise, the 1991 release is positively primitive. And yet people don't romanticize early editions of "Madden" in nearly the same way.

Retro video game fans understand the legend of "Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson," the star of
Adam Rank's top sports game.
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NFL Films delves into the video game's enduring appeal in a new half-hour special that made its NFL Network debut Friday. It re-airs Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

If you were like me -- which means girls didn't like you and you spent large swaths of sixth grade with your Nintendo Entertainment System -- it's required viewing. Where else can you see 51-year-old Christian Okoye attempt to tackle his 28-year-old, 8-bit doppelganger?

The special also documents a bunch of dudes with neckbeards in a Madison, Wis., "Tecmo" tournament, which doubles as the largest gathering of poor sportsmanship in recorded history. This was fun to watch, though to be honest, the sons of Sabol could've just run a reel of 99-yard runs by Bo Jackson and I would've been all set.

Never underestimate the power of nostalgia ... or an unblocked Kyle Clifton.